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I know in this group we have very creative minds and in the interests of entertainment and creativity, we could do a biography of Satan.
For the purposes of this exercise, we will assume Satan exists and we will start from where he [let us just say it is a he] was born, educated, his achievements, failures and if he did any writings, we will look at his family, where he grew up and what trades he learnt.
Go to work friends and lets us build a good biography for the antagonist.
Views: 1429
I believe that Satan was conceived during a gang rape of a Canaanite girl during the Jewish conquest. Unfortunately, the young Satan was given a linen and woolen garment by his Uncle Mephisto.
"Neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woolen come upon thee." -- Leviticus 19:19
By his early 20's he was only able to grow a cheesy beard and thus was sent to Hades Community College where he first heard some heavy metal. He graduated with a degree in marketing and began a career tempting fundamentalists christian preachers to have homosexual experiences, however this proved to be no challenge and he soon became bored. Next he.....
I can't wait for the part where he entered politics --
(Someone's been watching Freddy Kruger movies!)
Satan became so busy writing contracts offering rewards, such as party stardom and even baseball stardom, that he outsourced the research. Some of his researchers did shoddy work and gave him the contact info for people who had friends in the legal profession. Daniel Webster was one of the many lawyers who persuaded judges to rule Satan's contracts invalid.
Tom are you saying Satan became jobless after outsourcing? Terrible indeed!
Actually I expect that humans have become much better at doing satans job, but without all that magical hocus pocus.
Could it have been when gods came down to have some action with the maidens? The Caananites come on the scene quite late, don't you think.
I hope he didn't disappear between age 12 and 30, he must have attended school somewhere, worked some night shift and got a girlfriend in between
Much like jesus, very little is known of satan's early years. Halloween was the only time he felt accepted. He tried comb-overs, ala Donald Trump, but even little red horns are hard to hide. You know how high school is all about cliques. Ever try showing up to band with a tail?
Some of Satan's offspring can be found in the Vatican, attending services at Westboro Baptist Church, in the Republican Party, and in Salt Lake City.
Can Satan's offspring cast off their propensity for mischief, with a proper hormonal balance?
..Next Satan.became a program manager for TV and introduced dozens of popular reality shows. Satan did this just to make it easier for God to see what his sheep were really doing (since God is busy hiding all those fossils.) Well, it turns out that God became a huge fan. He especially likes "Pawn Stars" because it reminds him of all the wheeling and dealing back when Catholics used to pay for forgiveness. Satan was like "God is such a freak, you just never what he will do next"
Since Satan's plan backfired, he went to Vegas to lay low for a while and also to enjoy the hot weather. While there he did a little consulting work for Circus Soleil and got to meet Al Pacino (one of his favorite actors). Then...


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text:
Auto fires: Debate rages... along with two more blazes
There were two car fires in Charlottesville on Friday, January 14, bringing the two-day total to three, as debate rages about the cause of the one that destroyed a driver education car at the Albemarle County gas pumps.
"We do seem to have more vehicles burn this time of year," says Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner. "I don't know why that is."
However, ever since a scary experience in the 1980s, Charlottesville resident Steven W. Shifflett has held a theory about car fires–- at least the ones that occur at gas pumps. And his theory runs contrary to the contention of the Charlottesville Fire Marshal.
Shifflett says he learned the hard way when he stopped for fuel at the Wilco station on U.S. 250 on Pantops Mountain on his way to a party one cold New Year's Eve 25-30 years ago. While waiting for his tank to fill, Shifflett says, he was combing his hair while wearing a wool sweater and coat, a set of circumstances that may have stoked the static electricity in his body.
As he reached for the fuel nozzle, Shifflett saw "the largest spark I have ever seen" shoot between his fingertips and the nozzle.
"People don't know how lucky they are," says Shifflett, who says that neither he nor his vehicle were harmed in the incident. If the tank had been overflowing, as it reportedly was in the incident at the Albemarle County Office Building, that creates a "sure way" to turn a scary spark into a full-blown conflagration, says Shifflett.
The Thursday morning car fire by the fuel pumps at the County Office Building was described by the Fire Chief as "extremely intense." A Charlottesville Fire Department report notes that 18 people in eight units responded to the blaze.
The Chief says that Charlottesville Fire Marshal W.A. Hogsten concluded that the overflowing gas or its fumes probably ignited when, spilling under the driver's ed car, they reached kindling temperature from the presence of the vehicle's catalytic converter, a pollution-control device that can run over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
"The Fire Marshal can say anything he wants," says Shifflett, "but in my opinion it was static electricity."
Shifflett was later shown a copy of the Fire Marshal's report which indicates that although the exact point of origin could not be determined, the witnesses, interviewed together, appeared to agree that the fire began below.
Still, Shifflett says he feels vindicated on one point because the report indicates that instructor, Susie Neuhauser, got back inside the car while the car's tank was filling–- and then over-filling.
"They don't know how dangerous it is," says Shifflett, noting that getting back into a refueling car is a recipe for static electricity. Neuhauser could not be reached for comment.
The report also notes that one passenger, a student at Monticello High School, was trying to exit the vehicle when flames pushed him back. The report doesn't say how the student got out.
As for the Friday car fires, the first occurred in the Kmart parking lot shortly before noon. The second erupted in a Buick Riviera in traffic on U.S. 29 at the main entrance to the Seminole Square shopping center.
There remain other ways of starting a car fire in cold weather. One that exploded to life for many Atlanta television viewers came Monday, January 10 during that city's unprecedented deep snowfall. A driver, vexed by his BMW's inability to gain traction, decided to spin his rear tires as a camera of NBC affiliate WXIA rolled for a live shot. The tires eventually burned up; so did the BMW.
Besides his own brush with a fire, Shifflett mentions a service station surveillance video uploaded to YouTube that offers dramatic evidence of how static electricity can create a fueling fire in the winter. In the video, a young gasoline customer repeatedly adjusts her sweater, climbs back in her vehicle and exits it again–- all the while refraining from touching anything that might ground her body's growing charge of static electricity.
Shifflett recommends touching something metal away from fuel and fumes to safely discharge electricity before reaching for a nozzle.
And he concedes that the exact cause of the County Office Building fire may never be known, but he thinks static-electricity theory trumps catalytic-converter theory. "I don't think gas running under a car is likely to light," says Shifflett, "especially on a cold morning."
37 comments
That Atlanta video with the BMW fire was priceless. Just another jackarse with a Beamer getting his comeuppance. Hooray!
This video has little to do with the local car fire. Except for the fact that it shows people exercise no common sense whatsoever in very dangerous situations. What were these people thinking? If the falling spears of ice had struck any of them, they could have been seriously injured or killed.
Oh my God, did I summon the all-knowing spirit of the subliminal distraction dude? And apparently the Tucson shooting was caused by his pet theory. Imagine the odds!
I'm with J. This is a joke.
When did Steven Shifflett/Gas Bag become the biggest source for The Hook's "stories" - in addition to the most prolific poster on the site?
Totally bizarre.
I'm with GBSOE totally on this. The radiant heat from a normally operating catalytic converter with the engine not running would be most unlikely to ignite gasoline spilling under the car. Under extraordinary conditions with a malfunctioning fuel system, a converter might become incandescent while the car was running and might ignite things like dry grass coming into contact with the converter, but for the most part gasoline won't ignite except when there's an open flame or a spark. Those who doubt can perform an experiment for themselves; it's very simple. Heat the blade of a clean screwdriver to a dull red glow, then remove the flame and wave the hot screwdriver over a small puddle of gasoline. You will see.
Static electricity is another matter however.This is the reason why they tell you to place any gas cans on the ground before filling them, and standard advice has always been to remain outside the vehicle while fueling so you don't pick up a static charge from sliding across the seats. And again, if not keeping your hand on the nozzle at all times while fueling, be sure to touch some other part of the car before putting your hand back on the nozzle. Self service fueling is illegal in some states due to concerns about this type of thing.
As for statements from firemen, always remember they are specialists in putting out fires, not in the science of how fires start and there are many simplistic memes out there in fireman world. I would cite a long article appearing in the New Yorker last year about the "junk science" pervasive in the world of arson investigation as used to provide testimony in court about whether a fire was set.
Ok then. If you naysayers don't think static can ignite a fire...go ahead and push your luck. Any NASA scientist will tell you it can MOST certainly cause a fire.
Have you ever been shocked getting out of your car in the cooler months when you went to close the door. WELL DUH!!!! Of course you have and what may I ask, keeps you from getting shocked??? Touching the metal outside of your door AS you exit from the car. That DOES difuse the electric shock, which of course is caused by static.
How can you be so ignorant to thing this can't happen?!
Correct, Sophia. People are just too busy to pay attention to what they are doing nowadays. This is exactly why it's a crime to fuel your own car in some states. A gas station attendant is the only person who can fuel your car in certain.
BB, if you missed the most important "real information" in this story, I will be glad to repeat it for you. In cold weather, always touch metal and ground yourself before reaching for the gas nozzle again once your tank is full. Especially if you weren't paying attention and you have now let fuel spill out of the tank onto the side of the car and onto the ground. Grounding yourself is extremely important if you get in and out of your car while waiting for the vehicle to fuel. Otherwwise, electrostatic sparks are much more likely to occur. It's common sense to realize that accidents of this type occur, but perhaps we should wonder why the actual occurrence rate is quite low.
If this story prevents just one serious injury or fatality, The Hook has performed a very important community service. When's the last time you have seen a fire department or fire marshall educate the public about the dangers involved in fueling cars? Is it not that important because only a few hundred of these accidents take place nationwide each year?
Conjecture; there is hardly any real information in this article just a desire to write a story and hearsay.
I have to agree with Yes. This article is embarrassingly speculative, and its presence cheapens some of the fine journalism The Hook has produced in the past.
While their is no doubt that static electricity is theoretically capable of starting a gas pump fire, I'm going to side with the fire marshal on this one. The simpler, more logical explanation from someone who actually investigated the fire?...it must be a conspiracy!
I must point out Gasbag that you didn't blow up, and two of the three car fires mentioned in the article weren't anywhere near a gas station.
Mr/Mrs/Miss Yes, if I was a fire marshall, I would never issue a press release or make a statement to the effect that a city or county employee was improperly fueling a vehicle when a serious fire took place.
Isn't the real question why county employees are getting a four-day weekend because of the anachronistic Lee-Jackson day?
Mr/Mrs/Miss, there were many occasions in my career when I couldn't tell the public the truth after a department head or city official had put a spin on a press release. If you like your job in a city, county, state or federal agency, you are encouraged to never tell the truth if it is detrimental to the agency. The most memorable to me at this moment was when a fellow deputy went to lunch and forget he had a prisoner in his vehicle on a very hot summer day. He went in his house, had lunch and returned to the vehicle about 45 minutes later. The prisoner was by now having a heat related anxiety attack! The deputy told the truth to the sheriff in house, but a spin was put on the press release by the sheriff stating that the deputy had an emergency and had to stop at his house to use the bathroom for a few minutes. I still have "the truth" (memo to the sheriff signed by the deputy), and the false press release in my files to this day. If the deputy had then, after the sheriff's press release, decided to tell the public the truth and apologized for actions, he would have been FIRED most likely!
Yes, there's no danger of ever working for me. I would not be a very department head in any city, county or state agency. The very first thing I would do is get rid of all the deadwood. The last agency I worked for had 5 people doing all the work, and 5 sitting around drinking coffee and chatting all day long. Well, except the 2 hours they took for lunch, and the hour they left early every day! :)
For a long time now I've consistently defended the Hook as a fine journalistic product. I can no longer do that after reading this article. This is laughable. "The fire marshall can say anything he wants, but in my (totally uncredentialed) opinion...."
What a joke.
Pumping gas at any station is quite scarey today, especially when you observe other people talking on their CELL PHONES, TEXTING, LEAVING THE CAR RUNNING, GOING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR and SMOKING!!!!! All of this while the car is being refueled. A lot of people do not pay attention to the signs stating the specific dangers because of these selfish actions on their part. But why should we expect anything different at a gas station, when most of these actions are being done while they are driving. May be the gas stations should have an outdoor monitor to not only enforce the safety regulations, but also to ensure the safety of others.
If the Hook is going to publish whole posts devoted to unsubstantiated conjecture and preconceived personal pet theories, then that Subliminal Distraction dude should demand equal treatment.
Relax, TV, everyone knows that this CAN happen. But why shouldn't we have greater confidence in this particular case in the explanation offered by eyewitnesses and the conclusion reached by the fire marshall who investigated the matter, as opposed to the opinion offered by Gasbag even before any details of the incident were known?
What's you point gbag? You say "if I was a fire marshall, I would never issue a press release or make a statement to the effect that a city or county employee was improperly fueling a vehicle when a serious fire took place", and then you turn around and say " If city and county officials would take the time to talk to people, we wouldn't need highly overpaid press spokespersons in the city or county."
Pick a side there pal, and stick with it.
Businessman, when the fire marshall refuses to talk to The Hook, it raises my suspicions about how this fire took place even more. But even so, I accept the fire marshall's explanation. His explanation makes it clearly obvious that the vehicle was being fueled improperly if the automatic cutoff malfunctioned and enough gas made it to the front of the vehicle to ignite a fire. :)
This actually presents another issue as well. If city and county officials would take the time to talk to people, we wouldn't need highly overpaid press spokespersons in the city or county.
GassyB - wait, if you were fire marshall, then you wouldn't publicly state what had actually occurred? I'd hate to work in your Ye Olde Fire Marshalle Shoppe.
Angel Eyes, another way to test the fire marshal's theory is to park your car on flat concrete. Take a garden hose and let it run this summer. See how much water has to run before it reaches the front of the car. This will prove that even if the fire marshal is right, it certainly proves inattention or a lack of responsibility by the driver while having fueled the car. Even this inattention isn't a big deal. Except for the fact she had two students lives in her hands. (I have now learned the driver was a SHE).
Before you know it we are all going to have to wear ground straps and fire suites while refueling our cars.
The vapor ignites, not the liquid. When it hits the ground the heat from underneath the car attracts the vapors.
Here is a you tube video that shows how it evaporates quickly.
What would Charlie Morecraft do?
Yes? no name given --
Since my last post here there have been developments world wide with Subliminal Distraction. Visit my site and hit the links at the top of the HOME page.
Businessman, I am sorry I plucked your last nerve today. I really am.
But, whenever I see a person get in and out of their car while fueling a vehicle, it is usually a SHE. Just like the SHE in one of the the video links in this thread. If saying this is sexist, I enter a plea of guilty.
And just in case you really are having trouble keeping up here and don't understand why I said I would make a pretty bad department head, Mr/Mrs/Miss Yes said they sure would hate to work in my Ye Olde Fire Marshalle Shoppe. I guess some people really don't read all the replies posted here after all. They pick and choose their target. :)
Ah yes, of course. Actors!
I'm thinking adolescent vampires, and dinosaurs.
Will this debate be on pay-per-view? Sounds really exciting. It could feature a semi-embalmed journalist as moderator. Maybe a chair-throwing moment will jazz-up the peanut gallery.
Jeff, because of Monday being a holiday, this debate will get much more interesting on Tuesday. Ths is when some of the actors will be back to work and can use their employers computers and time to play along. :)
@ Lisa I'll tell you what's bizarre. Drunken birds falling from the sky in Romania is bizarre. Gasbag is dead on correct in this debate. Just take the time to ground yourself and happy motoring. and don't forget to look both ways even on a green light.
"Yes, there's no danger of ever working for me. I would not be a very department head in any city, county or state agency. The very first thing I would do is get rid of all the deadwood."
Gbag, what fantasy world do you live in? How does that thought squirt out of your head and into this discussion? You sound slightly unhinged.
Nice touch throwing in that "the driver was a SHE[sic])." Now we know you're sexist on top of everything else. At least SHE probably knows a pronoun's proper usage.
I think its all a conspiracy.
You're in the Gasblog.
My point is to anyone out there who doesn't think static can cause a fire at the gas pumps. It is not a speculation on all of the causes of the recent fires. I wasn't remarking on the two non-gas pump related Car-B-Q's. I was relating to people who don't believe static can cause these types of incidents.
Looks as though this story has burned itself out.
Not really. A lot of people who participate here do so on their employer's computer and dime. They will be back to work on Tuesday. :)
"This article is embarrassingly speculative, and its presence cheapens some of the fine journalism The Hook has produced in the past."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What fine jounalism?


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Nikon announces the Nikon Coolpix S1
Nikon has announced the newest addition to the Coolpix line of digital cameras, the Nikon Coolpix S1. The 5.1 megapixel camera features a 3x optical zoom and 2.5 inch LCD in a 3/4-inch thick body. With dimensions of 89.9 mm wide x 57.5 mm tall x 19.7 mm thick, the Coolpix S1 is 5 mm thicker than the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7 and 1 mm thinner than the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33. Nikon is marketing this camera towards "digital photographers who want a sleek slim companion camera to capture memories whenever and wherever they happen."
In the hardware department, the camera has a 3x Zoom-Nikkor, 5.8-17.4mm lens (35mm format equivalent of 35-105mm) with 12 elements in 10 groups. The 2.5-inch LCD has 110k pixels and a brightness adjustment. The battery life has been improved and the camera uses an EN-EL8 rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. The package also inclues the Coolstation MV-11 docking station for downloading pictures and charging the battery.
As far as "soft" features, Nikon has included some new technologies. This camera features the Face Priority AF system from Nikon. When in Portrait mode, the camera automatically detects the faces in the frame and sets the auto-focus accordingly. Another nice software feature is the In-Camera Red-Eye Fix(TM) technology, exclusive to Nikon. The camera will detect and fix red-eye effect without intervention from the user. The camera has all the standard shooting modes.
The camera has a start up time under 2 seconds and can shoot 1.8 frames per second, as well as movies up to 640×480 at 15 fps. There is some internal memory (12MB) and the camera has a slot to accept an SD card.
The camera will be available in April 2005 at a MSRP of $379.95. For a full list of features, check out the Nikon Coolpix S1 product page.


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Wild Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken Thighs With Fingerling Potatoes and Green Olives
Cooking projects for people who'd like nothing more than to spend a sunday afternoon surrounded by the wonderful aromas of the kitchen.
Editor's note: Each Saturday afternoon we bring you a Sunday Supper recipe. Why on Saturday? So you have time to shop and prepare for tomorrow.
I've never understood why people go gaga for chicken breasts. In my mind, they're pretty blah. I mean, sure, you can make the best of them, but why choose breasts when juicier, more flavorful thighs fare better time and time again, especially when you pair them with big, bold flavors? Which is exactly what we do with this dish—chicken is slathered in a wild mushroom and crème fraîche mixture and roasted in a garlicky wine and vinegar sauce alongside olive-stippled fingerling potatoes. The end result is nothing short of luxurious.
Frankly, chicken thighs are pretty forgiving, which is to say they're hard to screw up. I opted for boneless ones because they leave a natural cavity in which to add your stuffing. If all you have is bone-in thighs, you can bone them yourself using this guide. As for choosing skin-on versus skinless, I find skinless chicken is easier to roll—that skin gets slippery. You lose crisp skin and the insulating effects of cooking with skin-on, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to make for convenience's sake. (If you want to go the skin-on route, though, by all means do! Just make sure you first sear your meat skin-side down.)
Wild mushrooms improve in flavor with some cooking to drive off their excess moisture. I cook mine in olive oil, seasoned with just a bit of salt and pepper, then add richness and tang with some creme fraîche. The whole mixture gets rolled into the chicken thighs and secured with a bit of twine.
I roast the potatoes in a mixture of olive oil and vinegar, which helps flavor them deeply, but there's a little issue: Vinegar can prevent the breakdown of pectin, which mean that potatoes cooked in vinegar take far longer to roast. The solution is pretty simple though; just throw the potatoes in the oven while you make the mushroom mixture and stuff the chicken. They take about 40 minutes of cooking on their own to soften to the point where they can finish alongside the thighs.
Once the potatoes are par-cooked and the chicken stuffed, I sear the chicken in a large skillet, then push it off to the side and add the potatoes along with red peppers, garlic, olives, wine, and thyme. It goes back into the oven for a happy commingling of flavors. A final swirl of butter and dash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice seals the deal.
It looks great coming right out of the oven, but you'll want to wait about 10 minutes for the chicken to rest before diving in. If you can wait that long, that is.


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Developer's Reading List, May 22, 2012 The most interesting books of the last month, selected and reviewed by Dr. Dobb's editors.
Head First C
David Griffiths & Dawn Griffiths
This C tutorial is the most recent title in the quirky "Head First" series from O'Reilly. If you're not familiar with this series, the books have a fun and informal way of passing along information that includes games, pop quizzes, cartoon characters, and humorous commentary. The books are eminently approachable and make even difficult topics enjoyable. (Probably the best book in the series, in my opinion, is the one mentioned specifically by Ward Cunningham in last week's interview: the book on design patterns.)
The challenge for this particular book is that C is just not that hard to learn. It's a small language and once you've gotten past how pointers work and the subtleties of function declaration, there is just not that much to say. This book expands on that small target area by covering various libraries, such as the UNIX networking library. It also includes an Arduino project, including all the hardware details and instructions. In this way, readers gain knowledge both of the language and how to apply it in a variety of settings. Generally, things are well explained; however, every once in a while, the hiness of the presentation gets ahead of clear explanations. For example, in a sidebar explaining position-independent code, the authors write, "Some operating systems use a technique called memory mapping when loading dynamic libraries, which means all code is effectively position independent." This is an exact inversion of the reality: Only because code is position-independent can OSs use memory mapping. In that sidebar, there is no explanation as to why anyone would use position-dependent code making the whole digression rather pointless.
I also found the heavily Linux flavor of the book to be a limitation. Everything is presented using Linux and UNIX conventions. They're back ported to Windows by the recommended use of MinGW, with occasional references to the actual Windows correspondences. But there is no explanation of how to use Visual C++.
A C tutorial is invariably a dicey undertaking, as it will have to live and hope for success in the long shadow of K&R. While this book takes a radically different approach and thereby avoids comparisons, I'm not convinced of the value it ultimately delivers.


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New: Koko Head Cafe in Kaimuki
From left: cornflake French toast; reuben frittata
Back in December, when Lee Anne Wong and I first spoke about her plans for the upcoming Koko Head Cafe, she promised pancakes I wouldn't forget.
I waited four months for the new Kaimuki brunch spot to open so I could try them.
Except, when I finally went, I completely forgot about the pancakes. Confronted by a cornflake French toast, reuben frittata, and a milkshake with bourbon and candied bacon, I can't be the only die-hard pancake lover to be derailed at Koko Head Cafe from a pancake agenda.
It was a happy detour: that French toast ($14), rolled in cornflakes, is as crunchy as Popeye's fried chicken. Served a la mode with frosted flake gelato and sugared bacon, this is dessert for breakfast. And you've never had eggs like this—a pastrami sandwich reincarnated as a reuben frittata ($14) with house made pastrami, kimchi sauerkraut and thousand island sauce. The Don Buri Chen ($16) is a meat fest that surprisingly keeps gluttony in check—the pickles bring the miso smoked pork, five spice pork belly, chicharron and just-barely cooked, creamy eggs back to the edge of reason. The only real letdown that day was the bourbon milkshake ($15), more the consistency of a white Russian than a thick shake.
From left: pancakes with bacon and creamy black pepper maple; breakfast congee
It wasn't until a second visit when I finally tried the pancakes ($12). The bacon version (which I'm guessing most will choose over the fresh fruit option) is pretty similar to the French toast, with crisp strips of bacon and the same sop-it-up-till-it's-gone black pepper maple sauce. The pancakes themselves—tall and tender—certainly command your attention. I'm guessing Wong uses ricotta in her batter, which give the pancakes a slight tang and keeps them extra moist, so much so that a stack of four of them reminds me of the cream-soaked tres leches cake. They are delicious, but in my memories, the French toast still rises to the top.
Wong takes everything comfortable and makes it new again, from eggs to bacon to dumplings (she has a cookbook coming out soon: Dumplings All Day Wong). Sure, throwing three kinds of meat into the congee ($12) makes rice porridge instantly more sexy, but it's the creative touch of cheddar cheese and cinnamon-sugared croutons that makes it truly inventive.
Wong had told me I'd be writing about the pancakes, but clearly, I'd found more than that to talk about.
Koko Head Cafe
1145c 12th Ave., 732-8920, kokoheadcafe.com


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NFL Network
GM Mike Mayock analyzes DE Maxx Crosby's 40-yard dash
Apr 27, 2019
General Manager Mike Mayock joins the NFL Network crew in the booth to discuss defensive end Maxx Crosby's 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine.
Raiders Review: Josh Jacobs' uncoachable aspects on display vs. Panthers
In this week's Raiders Review, Raiders host Erin Coscarelli, analysts Marcel Reece and Eric Allen breakdown RB Josh Jacobs' special game against the Panthers and discuss what makes Jacobs such a game-changer for the Silver and Black.
In the Pocket: Rich Gannon impressed with Derek Carr in Week 1, knows Josh Jacobs is special
Raiders host Erin Coscarelli is joined by Raiders legend and CBS analyst Rich Gannon to recap the season-opening victory over the Panthers, discuss wide receiver Henry Ruggs III's debut, running back Josh Jacobs and more.
Raiders Gameday: Erin Coscarelli, Marcel Reece and Eric Allen recap the Week 1 victory
Raiders host Erin Coscarelli, analysts Marcel Reece and Eric Allen recap the Las Vegas Raiders' season-opening victory against the Carolina Panthers and discuss the rest of the action around the NFL from Week 1.
Steve Wyche talks Panthers' game-breakers, Brent Musburger on Raiders' impact in Las Vegas and stability headed into Sunday
JT The Brick and Lincoln Kennedy are joined by NFL Network's Steve Wyche and Raiders play-by-play broadcaster Brent Musburger to breakdown the Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers and discuss storylines around the NFL.
Allegiant Stadium flag-raising ceremony to honor 9/11 victims and first responders
Watch as local emergency responders and the Raiders gathered for a flag-raising ceremony at Allegiant Stadium to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and the first responders who serve our country every day.


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What happens to us after we die? Do we go on to exist in some non-physical form or is death truly the end? Well, the answer to that question will probably never be found but the uncertainty created by death and longing for lost loved ones created a booming industry for photographers in the later part of the 19th century.
Enter spirit photography.
Almost as soon as the camera had been invented, some people started thinking that the almost magical photographic medium could be just the thing to prove the existence of spirits, and thus life after death. So far as we know, the first photograph of a supposed spirit was taken in 1860. However, while ghost photos started to appear sporadically in the years after, one event alone produced an onslaught of ghost photos: the Civil War.
The Civil War, which raged from 1861 to 1865 was the bloodiest war in American history, leaving over 625,000 Americans dead, more than were killed in every other American war combined. Needless to say, with so much sudden death, America in the late 1860s was not a happy country as it would probably have been impossible for any one family not to have been touched by the war. In this nationwide grief, some enterprising photographers saw the potential for big money.
While no one knows who made the discovery, by the 1860s, the double exposure was common knowledge among photographers. In doing a double exposure, the photographer would take a picture of someone against a black background and then reuse the plate for another shot. Result: an eerie, transparent figure of a person would be superimposed on the final picture. At the time, portraits would often need to be exposed for a few seconds so, by cutting the exposure short, the photographer could further muddle the 'ghost' and make it much harder for a clear image that could be identified by grieving relatives as their lost loved one.
In the wake of the Civil War, some photographers of questionable morals seized on this opportunity and public ignorance to make big, big money.
Of all the supposed spirit photographers, William Mumler of Boston, then New York was the most famous. At the time, getting one's picture taken was a big, and expensive, event. Mumler and other photographers, being careful to guard the double exposure secret, would then advertise that they had the ability to photograph spirits. Needless to say, with all the sudden death wrought by the war, people lined up for photos in the hope that their dead relatives would join them, paying far in excess of the normal portrait price and making the spirit photographers rich in the process.
With the general public ignorance about photography, it seemed as though this fraud could go on indefinitely. Unfortunately for the fraudulent photographers, the good times did not last.
In 1869, William Mumler was put on trial for fraud, with his accusers, among them, P.T. Barnum, stating that he was using double exposures to fake spirit photographs. While Mumler himself was acquitted of the charges as there was no hard evidence against him, his trial let the big secret of spirit photographers, double exposure, out into the open. Result: once everyone knew about trick photography, people were less inclined to line up for photos when they knew that they were, more than likely, being swindled.
By the turn of the 20th century, spirit photography as well as the whole spiritualism movement was consigned to the pages of history. However, while the spirit photographs of the 1800s have been essentially proven as fakes, the interest in catching ghosts on camera has not waned in the least. Just Google something to the effect of 'ghost pictures' for proof of this fact.
Some'ghost' photos from the 1800s
And now. . . the best for last. . .Ghost snot! Eeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww!!!!!
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Nirvana Albums
About Nirvana: There are multiple artists tracked as "Nirvana" on Last.fm. Following are eight, listed in order of prominence: 1) Nirvana was a popular and highly influential American grunge band. The band formed in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987, and was part of the Seattle grunge scene of the late 80s. Other Seattle grunge bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden also gained in popularity, and, as a result, alternative rock became a dominant genre on American and Canadian radio and music television during the early-to-mid '90s.


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Sioux Falls South Dakota
The Big Sioux River running through Falls Park
A beautiful night to gather along the waterfront for the Downtown RiverFest
Outdoor patio dining at Turks & Caicos Cabana Grille
Kayaking through the heart of the city on the Big Sioux River
Relaxing with friends in the stunning scenery of Falls Park
Enjoying live music and a meal al fresco at Parker's Bistro
Studying one of the colorful pieces that make up downtown's SculptureWalk
Merriment at the summer JazzFest at Yankton Trail Park
Aerial view of Falls Park and the downtown skyline
Crowds gather to watch live performances during a downtown block party
- Major Airports:
- Sioux Falls (FSD)
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- States:
- South Dakota
Eclectic exploring in the heart of the USA
History in the Great Outdoors
Urban adventures are plentiful, thanks to the Downtown River Greenway with parks lining the banks of the Big Sioux River, a natural attraction for recreation that flows through the heart of the city. The best-known park is Falls Park, home to the Falls of the Big Sioux River, a focus of life in the region throughout history. The park covers nearly 50 hectares, and overlooks provide spectacular views of the cascading water. Visitors also will find a bike trail that is part of a 42-kilometer system, five-story viewing tower and historic relics, just a few of the features helping the park reach the status of one of TripAdvisor's Top 25 parks in the USA.
The pink quartzite rock at Falls Park, which is native to the area, is the second hardest rock to diamond and was used in the construction of many of Sioux Falls' first buildings and roads. The first inhabitants here were the Sioux tribe, and the city is home to a Native American burial ground that is more than 1,600 years old.
At Good Earth State Park at Blood Run, a National Historic Landmark that became South Dakota's first new state park since 1972, see why the area became a crossroads of Native American civilization from 1300 to 1700. Learn how the Oneota Indigenous Peoples depended on the river, wildlife and fertile flood plains.
Fun Ways to Tour the City
In between all the outdoor activities, take advantage of lively musical entertainment, downtown festivals and other cultural pursuits. Admire dozens of pieces entered in SculptureWalk while trying to guess which one will win Best of Show honors. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people cast votes for their favorites.
Check event calendars and catch a show at the Washington Pavilion, which houses performing arts, visual arts, interactive science and educational opportunities under one roof. Visit the Orpheum Theater, which opened in 1913 as a vaudeville house and is known for its superb acoustics. Big-name artists often perform at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, which can seat up to 12,000 people.
A Foodie's Delight
Don't mistake its location in the heartland for a lack of originality on the culinary front. Sioux Falls has an eclectic foodie scene with a bourgeoning array of trendy restaurants. Visit CH Patisserie for pastries or Parker's Bistro for fine dining.
Enjoy weekly events and learn about wine-making at Strawbale Winery. Be sure to also stop at one of the city's breweries, where you can sample a changing lineup of local beer.
Fun Fact
The first four-door automobile, the Fawick Flyer, was invented in Sioux Falls by Thomas Fawick, who also donated the casting of Michelangelo's David statue that stands downtown in Fawick Park.
Photo: Rich Murphy
Sioux Falls is named for the Sioux tribe of American Indians and the waterfalls of the Big Sioux River, which encircles the city.
Photo: Rich Murphy
At the U.S. Geological Survey's Center for Earth Resources Observation & Science, the national archive of satellite images gathered from remote sensing data, scientists study changes to the Earth's surface.
Photo: EROS
Nearby Experiences
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5 Unexpected Adventures in South Dakota
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Pride in the Twin Cities
Orfield Labs Quiet Chamber
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Wabasha Street Caves
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Vermeer Windmill
Upcoming events
Outdoor University
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Official Sioux Falls Travel Sites
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Osama Bin Laden dead, Ground Zero celebrates
NEW YORK - A crowd of perhaps 1,000 has gathered in lower Manhattan at the site of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Special Report: Death of Osama Bin Laden
With chants of "USA, USA," revelers celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden, the man behind the attacks, have spilled into the street, bringing traffic to a standstill."It's like the World Series down here," CBS News chief national correspondent Byron Pitts reported from the celebration.
For Ashley Smith, the news of Bin Laden's death brings a bit of closure. She worked two blocks from Ground Zero on the day of the attacks and was forced to run from her office for safety when the buildings collapsed. She joined the impromptu rally in lower Manhattan.
Key dates in the hunt for Osama bin Laden
She was skeptical of the U.S.'s response initially but now says it was all worth it. "I felt like we had all of our money fighting this endless war over there, now it totally validates it," said Smith.
Diane Massaroli lost her husband, Michael, nearly 10 years ago on 9/11. She only comes to Ground Zero once a year on the anniversary of the attacks but felt compelled to come tonight.
"We can never celebrate ever since this happened. [Tonight] is sad also but it's a celebration," Massaroli said.
President Barack Obama said in an address from the White House late Sunday night that a small team of Americans carried out the operation to kill bin Laden in Pakistan, and that cooperation from Pakistani authorities was crucial.
"Shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda," Mr. Obama said. "Tonight, we can say to those who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda's terror, justice has been done."
(Watch below, crowds celebrate death of Osama Bin Laden)


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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) released the March 2012 edition of its state-by-state snapshots which detail each individual state's economic progress for the previous month. The report shows widespread private-sector gains reaching nearly four out of five states, with 285,000 private-sector jobs added nationally in January.
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the JEC said, "We saw an encouraging number of jobs added extensively across the country with the start of the New Year. It is imperative that this momentum continues throughout 2012. While this is reassuring news, too many Americans remain unemployed.
"We still have a long way to go, as is evidenced by the employment situation of our nation's veterans. With 12.1 percent of our Post-9/11 veterans out of work – nearly four percentage points higher than the national unemployment rate – it is clear that the recent progress has not been far-reaching enough. We must do more to provide career training and assistance to aid veterans in their transition to the civilian workforce.
"Additionally, the excessive rise in gas prices threatens to impede the economic progress we have made in recent months. While there is not a quick solution to combat these rising prices, there are steps we can take to alleviate the strain being felt by millions of Americans at the pump. The No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act would aid in preventing gas hikes by ensuring that the gas prices are dictated by the free market rather than the nations conspiring to raise prices. As one of the co-sponsors of the NOPEC Act, I urge Congress to pass this bill to ensure that OPEC is held accountable for price fixing. Sky high gas prices cause a huge strain on families that are already struggling to make ends meet. We must ensure that these prices reach more reasonable levels to maintain the economic recovery."
Report highlights include:
- Thirty-nine states added private-sector jobs in January. Texas (73,800) had the largest private-sector gains, accounting for more than one quarter of all private-sector jobs added in the United States, followed by New York (45,500) and Ohio (32,700). In the past 12 months, 46 states and the District of Columbia gained private-sector jobs, with Texas (332,600), California (167,500) and New York (136,700) recording the largest gains.
- Forty-five states and the District of Columbia saw their unemployment rates decline in January, with fourteen states recording statistically significant decreases. Mississippi and Missouri (-0.5 percentage point each) experienced the largest decreases. In the past 12 months, Michigan reported the largest decline in the unemployment rate (-1.9 percentage points), followed by Utah (-1.8 percentage points).
- Manufacturing employment expanded in 39 states in January. The largest gains were in Michigan (16,300), followed by Missouri (4,300) and New Jersey (4,000). In the past 12 months, eight states – Michigan, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Washington, Iowa, South Carolina and Illinois– each added more than 10,000 manufacturing positions.
- Thirty-four states added jobs in the professional and business services sector in January. New York (18,400), Texas (18,100) and Arizona (9,400) posted the largest increases. In the past year, 44 states and the District of Columbia have added professional and business services jobs.
- Thirty-eight states added jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector during January. Texas (17,100), Ohio (6,800) and New York (6,600) saw the largest gains. In the past 12 months, 34 states and the District of Columbia added leisure and hospitality jobs.
The report entitled "Understanding the Economy: State-by-State Snapshots," features key economic statistics for each state. (Data concerning Nevada starts on page 59.) The report is the second edition of 2012 released by the Chairman of the JEC and uses recently released state-level data to explain how the economic recovery is unfolding in each state.


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Mesa 649 - Jasper
Part of the Atelier collection, Mesa is inspired by beauty on the surface, where the pattern lies above the surface.
With a master weaver on site, and a forward-thinking production team in place, the Merida mill at once acts as a think tank, design lab, creative test kitchen, and manufacturing mecca. Design, craftsmanship and ingenuity live as harmoniously as the rug fibers themselves.
• Lead time may be increased due to production demand. For current lead times, please contact your Merida representative.
•Natural fibers reflect slight variations in color, so samples may vary slightly from the finished rug you receive. The resulting imperfection gives the rug its unique character.
Fiber: 42% Mohair | 32% Felted Wool | 27% Linen
Backing: Cotton
Max Width: 13'x20' or 20'x13'
Construction: Tufted
Lead Time: 16 Weeks


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To do what we can to protect our home community of Stillwater, we are temporarily closing the doors to the KICKER Visitors Center and Museum, until further notice.
Stillwater Designs and KICKER itself, including orders and shipping, will continue to run under normal business operations.
Thank you for your patronage and patience, and please plan to visit the KICKER Visitors Center when it opens again. If you want to visit a local KICKER dealer in your area, we recommend calling ahead to confirm store hours and availability.
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© , Stillwater Designs. All rights reserved. Copyright and Trademark Notice.


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Whoops! Stocks with Oculus name spikeMarch 26, 2014: 4:05 PM ET
Shakespeare pondered whether a rose by any other name is as sweet. Apparently, that may be the case for stocks.
On Wednesday, a day after Facebook announced its planned acquisition of Oculus VR for $2 billion, trading of penny stock Oculus VisionTech (OVTZ) was halted after surging almost 90% in half an hour. The Vancouver-based digital media company bears no connection to Facebook's acquisition target, but that didn't stop investors from riding the Oculus name wave.
"It would have been nice, but it's definitively a misunderstanding," said Tony Drescher, Director and Chief Financial Officer of Oculus VisionTech. "We're not in the virtual reality business."
Drescher said that it was the company's decision to suspend trading.
The stock opened at 18 cents per share, doubling to 36 cents before being halted at 30 cents, according to FactSet. Trading commenced again just before noon, and the stock finished the day down 12.5%.
Another stock with a similar name also saw a bump, albeit a more modest one. Oculus Innovative Sciences (OCLS), a biotechnology company, jumped 8% in early trading before closing with a 5.5% gain.
Reaction on StockTwits was plentiful and playful.
"I don't want to say the market is frothy, but the fake Oculus ($OCLS) is up 10% - algos or first-year traders?" wondered ReformedBroker.
"$OCLS Wrong Oculus guys. Congrats to those who got out with 10% gain overnight though," said Eurofap.
Still, Oculus Innovative Sciences was holding its ground even after the initial , as noted by StockTwits trader adatherton.
"This $OCLS thing isn't stopping, even though everyone must have realized it by now," he said.
The OCLS stock is still up around 6% as of noon. Too bad King Digital Entertainment (KING), the maker of Candy Crush, wasn't named Oculus today.


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Java technology allows you to work and play in a secure computing environment. Upgrading to the latest Java version improves the security of your system, as older versions do not include the latest security updates.
Java allows you to play online games, chat with people around the world, calculate your mortgage interest, and view images in 3D, just to name a few.
Java software for your computer, or the Java Runtime Environment, is also referred to as the Java Runtime, Runtime Environment, Runtime, JRE, Java Virtual Machine, Virtual Machine, Java VM, JVM, VM, Java plug-in, Java plugin, Java add-on or Java download.
If you want to download Java for another computer or Operating System, click the link below.
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LOS ANGELES – Internet radio leader Pandora Media Inc. said Wednesday that it won a court battle with the music publishing society known as ASCAP in a ruling that should help it lower its royalty payments.
The ruling only impacts the royalties Pandora pays to songwriters – a fraction of the total since royalties for performers are about 13 times larger. But the decision marks an incremental win in its larger battle to contain growing costs.
Pandora has said it pays about 4.3 percent of its revenue in songwriter royalties to groups including ASCAP, which distributes them to major publishers like Sony/ATV and Warner/Chappell.
Starting two years ago, major publishers began to withdraw rights from Pandora, forcing it to reach separate deals.
Judge Denise Cote's ruling in a federal district court in New York on Tuesday said such withdrawals violate the conditions ASCAP has acted under since a 1941 agreement with the Justice Department to prevent anticompetitive behavior.
"We welcome the court's decision," said Chris Harrison, Pandora's assistant general counsel, in a statement. "We hope this will put an end to the attempt by certain ASCAP-member publishers to unfairly and selectively withhold their catalogs from Pandora."
ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, said the ruling does not undermine its position that songwriters should be paid fairly by Pandora, an issue to be addressed in a December trial.
"Songwriters deserve fair pay for their hard work," said ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento. He said the society looks forward to the Dec. 4 trial that could rewrite a five-year deal in place since January 2011, where it will "demonstrate the true value of songwriters' and composers' performance rights."
As one example of the value of songwriters' work, ASCAP negotiated higher royalties for Apple's iTunes Radio, a streaming service that launches Wednesday and will compete with Pandora.
While Pandora said the ruling "has no impact on the royalty rates Pandora currently pays to ASCAP," Pandora spokeswoman Mollie Starr said it did annul agreements Pandora reached separately with Universal Music Group and BMG/Chrysalis Music after they withdrew rights for Pandora in July.
With Tuesday's ruling, Pandora will now pay Universal and BMG the lower ASCAP rate.
Starr said Pandora will continue to honor a separate rate it negotiated with Sony/ATV, which bought EMI Music Publishing in June 2012, through the end of the year.
A spokesman for Universal did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A BMG spokesman had no immediate comment.
Pandora shares rose 50 cents, or 2 percent, to $25.69 on Wednesday.


text: Introduction Terms & Conditions Selection Panel Photos location & event Texts Video interviews with winners << Go back Winners were voted by the finalist artists on 1 December during exhibition at the City of Rome's Centrale Montemartini, the culmination of an 11 month-long prize call which saw over 1,400 works submitted to a selection panel of curators headed up by Katia Garcia-Anton. Painting & Graphics Prize Winner Antoinette Von Saurma - Sendai in the snow Second equal: Catarina Rosa - Seven Steps Mira Sanders - Itineraria #1 Photography & Digital Graphics Prize Winner David Birkin - Pietà Second equal: Emil Bermudez - Scape Oscar Hugal - As Orange As An Orange Video & Animation Prize Winner Cristina Nunez - Someone to love Second: Marit Liesbeth - One way of going Third: Mario Pfeifer - A formal film in nine episodes. Prologue & Epilogue Live Media, Installation, Sculpture & Performance Prize Winner Jaime de la Jara - Curtains Second: Martin Romeo - Built in Third: Pii Anttila - Situations Wanted - Applying for a job in the underground economy Curator's Choice PrizeDina Danish - Type Sonata Visitors Choice Prize Giovanni Guadagnoli - Landscape, Ipotesi 35 Location: Centrale Montemartini, Via Ostiense 106, Rome, Italy Exhibition dates: 1 - 9 December 2012Exhibition opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9am to 7pm. Take a look at the 40 Celeste Prize finalists and their works chosen by the selection panel and the curator Katya Garcia-Anton.€ 20,000 prizes: Painting & Graphics Prize € 4,000 Photography & Digital Graphics Prize € 4,000 Video & Animation Prize € 4,000 Live Media, Installation, Sculpture & Performance Prize € 4,000 Curator's Choice Prize € 3,500Public's Choice Prize € 500As organizers, we would like to thank curators and critics of the selection panel for giving up their time to view all works and publish their choices. And last but not least, a big thank you to all participating artists, whose enormous creative output of works, energies and thought, have created another unique resource of works for everyone to take note of! Read catalogue texts Finalists Painting & Graphics PrizeKatarina Blazova – Beckets and Godots Jessie Brennan – The Cut Valentina Cirami – senza titolo Jessica Dreyfus – Machine of the Body Sanders Mira – Itineraria #1 Catarina Rosa – Seven Steps Hubard Severine – antistatic Amruta Shah - Detergents/Cleaners Antoinette Von Saurma – Sendai in the snow Boedi Widjaja – Ian, Rem, Kal Finalists Photography & Digital Graphics PrizeEmili Bermùdez – Scape David Birkin – Pietà Giovanni Guadagnoli – Landscape – Ipotesi 35 Oscar Hugal – As Orange As An Orange Lorenzo Mini – "Paesaggio italiano" Gabriele Rossi – Elf SHILO – The Night Erin Solomons – "For Cindi and Ralph (the act)" Timotheus Tomicek – look and see Jacqueline Tune – What mother ses 2, England Oct 2011 Finalists Video & Animation PrizeDaniel Cerrejòn – 5min Smile Sophie Clements – There, After Dina Danish – Type Sonata Kara Hearn – One thing After Another Marit Liesbeth – One Way of Going Trish Morrissey – Ave Maria Karaoke Cristina Nunez – Someone to Love Sabrina Osborne – Look Both Ways Mario Pfeifer – A FORMAL FILM IN NINE EPISODES, PROLOGUE & EPILOGUE Swoon – Disintegration Nation Finalists Live Media, Installation, Sculpture & Performance PrizePii Anttila - Situations Wanted – Applying for a Job in the Underground Economy ASYNTHOME – Asynthome (Transforma/Yro) Viktor Jan – BEATOVEN Martin Romeo – Built it Nico Varchausky – SPEAKER PERFOMING KIOSK Jaime De la Jara – Curtains Mikhail Karikis - SeaWomen Bharti Parmar – SHAG Saad Qureshi – Quicken See-Saw Performance Group - Rodin Reflections (in 4 actions) What's new in 2012° Katya Garcia-Anton, curator of the Spanish Pavilion at 54th Venice Biennial 2011, is curator of 4th Celeste Prize 2012° New team of international art critics and curators in the Selection Panel ° 40 finalist artists will vote € 16,000 prizes° Two new prizes: Curator's Choice and Visitors' Choice ° Two artist residencies and one course offered free to 3 finalists, by: The Invisible Dog, New York, USA - Jaime de la Jara Ondarte Residency, Cancun, Mexico - Mikhail Karikis Siena Art Institute, Siena, Italy - Amruta ShahVideo Art Events° 15 September-26 December, 'Digital Performances', 15 video works by Celeste artists organised by FonladFestival° 1-31 October on Visualcontainer.TV the 10 Video & Animation finalist works. Curator: Katya Garcia-Anton Selection Panel Irina ChmyrevaMichael Connor Micol Di Veroli Maymanah Farhat Lara Khaldi Eva Gonzalez-Sancho Jack Persekian Lydia Pribisova Nigel Prince Maria Inés Rodriguez Risa Shoup Live Media Panel: Fonlad Festival - José Vieira Forward Motion Theater - Eric Dunlap Otolab-Orgone - Bertram Niessen Claudio Sinatti – IED Alessandro Ludovico – Neural Magazine.Entry fee: € 40 / 1 workEach work submitted to Celeste Prize:° is seen and properly considered by members of the Selection Panel° is part of a clear and open selection process which is visibile in a special online section – each selector will publish his or her choices for all to see.° is immediately viewable throughout Celeste Network's community of 40,000+ members° benefits from top web indexing, which means it can be found instantly in the webCeleste Prize 2012 is working in collaboration withCity of Rome's Musei Capitolini - Centrale Montemartini, Zetema, Glocal Project and ZeL Edizioni See what happened in 2011The winners The finalists Shortlisted works The event Curators2012 in Rome – Katya Garcia-Anton, Spain 2011 in New York - Eugene Tan, Singapore; Sara Reisman, USA 2010 in New York - Julia Draganovic, Germany; Mark Gisbourne, UK 2009 in Berlin - Mark Gisbourne, UK ; Adrienne Goehler, Germany ; Victoria Lu, China << top >>


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Creative Director
Iconic Creative Director
Everything destined Olivier Échaudemaison to join the House of Guerlain: a visceral need to create, an artistic instinct, an immense talent and sense of imagination, an intuitive understanding of women... and an innate sense of simplicity - despite his rich and complex personality.
"When I was 20, I wore Vetiver. For me, Guerlain was a world overflowing with beauty. I've had a long love story with this House."
He began with Alexandre de Paris, the "hairstylist to the stars". "I used to watch Twiggy and the other cover girls of the 70s do their own make-up.
I found it really fun!"
He would soon become their favourite make-up artist, approached by the most prestigious magazines and top photographers, such as Helmut Newton, Guy Bourdin, Parkinson, David Bailey, etc.
"I've done the make-up of the most beautiful women in the world. Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Jackie Kennedy, Romy Schneider... The most beautiful face I've ever seen? Liz Taylor."
His imagination has been shaking up the house since 2000, where he is free to express the full scope of his talent in a wide variety of artistic disciplines.
He supervises the make-up line. He is behind each new product. Knowing women's desires from their lips to their lashes, he translates these into texture and colour. Everything takes shape in his incredibly creative mind!
At the same time, he regularly draws from Guerlain's heritage to revisit its cult products. Terracotta is one such product that he renews from season to season.
Olivier Échaudemaison is also responsible for the creation of objects, the design of a new product or the creation of an exceptional piece. He has a unique gift of forward-thinking and can call on the services of an architect to create a lipstick case!
Last but not least, Olivier Échaudemaison supervises Guerlain's visual dimension and trains his sharp eye on the photos, the style of a new director, etc.
Creative Director
Guerlain's make-up vision
Capturing every woman's unique beauty and revealing its radiance is a philosophy dear to Olivier Échaudemaison: "I don't like transforming women, that weakens them. It is much more interesting to reveal who they are."
His golden rule: simplicity and purity, an unobtrusive make-up result. Each person's skin, each face interprets the colours, textures and fragrances created by Guerlain in its own way. Their natural beauty is imperceptibly enhanced without being altered.
Guerlain creates truly luxurious objects that are intuitive to use with a practical and elegant design. "A single objective: to make women more beautiful. To do so, we have to give them textures and tools that fulfil a very precise mission. Even the most sophisticated products are incredibly simple to handle."
Colour! Textures! Imagination! For Olivier Échaudemaison, make-up is a game. A game of seduction and femininity through which every woman can reinvent herself each day to match her mood. And reveal a new facet of her sensuality.
"I love the game of make-up, the flirty and seductive feel when a woman applies lipstick in public. It's so French!"
Creative Director
Sensual, incredibly beautiful, all-woman. For Olivier Échaudemaison, the Guerlain Ambassadresses wonderfully embody the brand's values: "I can always sense the possible harmony between the personality of a woman and that of Guerlain immediately."
"I felt this as soon as I laid eyes on Natalia. There's this absolute chic, grace and youthfulness. She loves to play. She's elegant and a rocker at the same time… Her still childlike face, transforming into a seductress, reminds me terribly of Romy Schneider."
Season after season, Olivier Échaudemaison has fun telling the story of a mermaid, a goddess or a Parisian, in which Natalia plays the heroine. She is one of Guerlain's most iconic muses and its most beautiful ambassadress.
Creative Director
Beauty is all-encompassing
Make-up, colours, textures, designing objects, styling, photo, video, etc. Guerlain's artists draw on a wide range of disciplines, which Olivier Échaudemaison supervises with talent and passion.
He has always been inspired by art. His mentors? René Gruau, for his very glamorous vision of women. And Francis Bacon: "It's powerful, very dramatic, very colourful, I love the movement!".
Always on the lookout for designers, Olivier Échaudemaison boldly initiates artistic partnerships: "I want to work with young talents who are still unknown in our field but highly respected and admired in their own sphere."
For "KissKiss", Olivier turned to Hervé Van der Straeten, who had never designed a lipstick. He was thrilled by the challenge, which resulted in an exquisite object.
Lorenz Bäumer, Place Vendôme's star jeweller, would design "Rouge G" and "Noir G", giving birth to the little mirror hidden in a jewel case that has already become a cult object.
Olivier looked to India Mahdavi for "Ecrin 6 Couleurs". The architect-designer engraved a grey steel metal case in moucharaby style. Once opened, the case stands like an easel. A wonderfully refined object.
Olivier was also behind "Guerlain by Emilio Pucci". A collaboration with Laudomia Pucci that gave birth to a collector's line with accents of the Italian Riviera.
The young design prodigy, Ora-ïto, was chosen to bring the Terracotta compact up to date. He has given it a new lease of life, while retaining the famous brown tortoiseshell tones.
Multidisciplinary with a vast knowledge of the arts, Olivier Échaudemaison counts on the greatest contemporary talents. But he alone is able to create the conditions for partnerships that are both bold and offbeat.
Creative Director
Art Team
The International Make-up Artists that he has carefully selected…
"It would be unthinkable for Guerlain and I to offer exceptional products without a team of professionals to support its boldness and creativity."
Headed by Olivier Échaudemaison, the Art Team brings together international Make-up Artists selected for their exceptional make-up expertise. Their team spirit is sealed by the Guerlain philosophy, which each one takes to the four corners of the globe.
Initially a freelance make-up artist, Raynald perfected his technique at the famous Atelier International de Maquillage. He then worked for Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy where he was spotted by Olivier Échaudemaison. Sharing his vision of make-up, he didn't hesitate a second when Olivier asked him to join the Guerlain Art Team.
Initially a model in New York, Maxime admired the talent of make-up artists. So much so that he became one. He discovered Guerlain by making up famous actresses who were fans of the French House. Olivier became his source of inspiration. Their meeting years later would seal their collaboration within the Art Team. The ultimate recognition, he became Make-up Artist of the year in 2010 in Canada.
He discovered art, sculpture and design as a child. He later became passionate about fashion, colour and make-up. Fascinated by Olivier Échaudemaison's talent, Jose-Luis joined Guerlain in 2003, where Olivier passed on to him all his expertise and know-how. He is very familiar with Latin America, where he gives VIP consultations. He also works at the top fashion shows all around the world.
Beginning her career at the tender age of 16, Alexandra discovered her love for make up whilst assisting as a hair stylist. Alexandra perfected her skills in Scotland's top make up school before stepping into the industry with Bobbi Brown and MAC; she later began to impart her knowledge on aspiring artist as a teacher before leaving the UK. Fascinated since always by Guerlain's know-how and history, Alexandra joined the International Art team once she moved in Dubai.


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By Alan Caruba
In ancient times the expression was "All roads lead to Rome." An impressive network of roads had been built to maintain the Roman Empire, but it eventually broke apart and failed. These days all roads lead to Tehran, the capital of Iran, the terror capitol of the world, and to its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The attacks on Israel were ordered by Khamenei and the support for Syria's dictator Bashar Assad come from Khamenei. Perhaps inspired by the success of the al Qaeda attack on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on the anniversary of 9/11, Hamas—a proxy for Iran in Gaza—increased its rocket attacks on Israel.
Among the rockets raining down on Israel is a Fajr-5 that is made in Iran.
It is important to keep in mind that these rocket attacks have been made for a decade. However, following the reelection of President Obama, they increased and it is my view that the Iranians have taken his measure of the four years of his first term and concluded that he would do little to support Israel and that they could increase their efforts to create nuclear weapons with which to destroy Israel and threaten the Middle East and the world.
DEBKA File, an Israeli news agency reported on November 17th that President Obama had called Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu to reiterate "his support for Israel's right to defend itself." In addition, he called Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi to urge him "to persuade Hamas to accept Israel's terms for a ceasefire."
The reality is that there has been no ceasefire from Hamas since it seized control of Gaza from Fatah, as the Palestinian Liberation Organization is also known. The PLO governs the West Bank, an area Israel secured as the result of an earlier war.
Israel is under fire as the direct result of Obama's actions and statements during his first term. This is what happens when sixty years of support and cooperation are abandoned in an effort to curry acceptance by Middle Eastern regimes and people.
It is useful to consider the record of wars waged against Israel since it declared its sovereignty in 1948. The announcement was followed immediately by the 1948 Arab-Israeli War that ended in July 1949. Military actions were carried out against Israel throughout the 1950s and 60s from Syria, Egypt, and Jordan. There was conflict when Israel joined Britain and France after Egypt announced its intention to occupy the Sinai Peninsula and take over the Suez Canal. The Six-Day War in June 1967 was triggered by Egypt and joined by Jordan and Syria. Israel won a decisive victory, expanding its territory to include the West Bank, the Golan Heights, and Gaza.
Another war of attrition followed from 1967 to 1970. In October 1973 Israel was attacked on its holiest day, Yom Kippur, by Egypt and Syria. From 1971 to 1982 led to an invasion of Lebanon in 1978. In 1982, another war was fought with Lebanon which had become a staging area for the Iranian proxy, Hezbollah. More conflict continued from 1987 to 2000. From 1987 through to 2005, a Palestinian uprising known as the Intifada continued. And in 2006 another war with Lebanon was triggered by the abduction of two Israeli reserve soldiers by Hezbollah.
The first Gaza war, December 2008 to January 2009, was waged against Hamas, an Iranian proxy, and now, as the result of months of rocket attacks on Israel, it has been renewed.
The Iranians are within months of achieving their long time goal of creating a nuclear arsenal. On October 19 DEBKA File reported that its intelligence sources had learned that Iran "had finished installing in Fordo the last set of advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium to 20 percent purity" which will give the ability to enhanced these stocks to the 90 percent bomb-making level.
"American experts," said DEBKA File, "now estimate that this jump would take no more than two to three weeks from the moment a go-ahead order came down from Khamenei."
Writing in the November 16 Wall Street Journal, Saul Singer said "Even the debate over sanctions and military action against Iran's nuclear program largely misses the point. The solution is for Iran's regime to fall, and the key to that isn't sanctions or even military action. It is for Western governments to star saying to Iran's leaders what they told Egypt's Hosni Mubarack, Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, ad Syria's Bashar Assad: You must go."
Singer said that "There is a reason why Iran is desperately trying—with money, personnel and weapons—to keep Assad's brutal regime afloat in Syria. What the mullahs fear more is the Arab Spring spreading to Iran."
Even former Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, writing in a recent issue of the Washington Post, said, "The most urgent decision facing the president is how to stop Iran from pursuing a military nuclear program."
World War II began because the nations of Europe sought appeasement with the Nazi regime. They delayed preemptive action until it was too late. The U.S. and the nations of the world have followed the same path with Iran. The Obama "apology tour" to the Middle East has been a total failure and has brought the world to the brink of a war there that could spread to wherever there are nations with large Muslim populations. And Europe has large Muslim populations.
All this is happening as a U.S. government in gridlock faces a "fiscal cliff" that would require huge cuts to our defense budget at the worst possible time. A profligate Obama regime has increased the national debt to $16 trillion and large numbers of Americans are unemployed. This mirrors the 1930s in which a recession from which the nation could have recovered was so badly botched that it became the Great Depression.
The only option the U.S. and the West has is to join with Israel to destroy or significantly disable Iran's nuclear program and attack its military capabilities. The Gaza attacks on Israel are part of the Iranian effort to test and "soften up" its defenses, to engage the Israeli Defense Force in a ground war that will deplete its armed forces.
Americans and Israelis embrace life, but our enemies embrace death. They are taught from birth that dying in a holy war—a jihad—opens the gates to paradise.
We are on the brink of a Third World War intended to bring about a new Islamic caliphate, the control of the world by Islam.
© Alan Caruba, 2012


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Ten Ways You Can Work for Professional Pay
Whether you're a middle school teacher, a school bus driver, or a "contingent" university lecturer hired without the chance for tenure, you can be part of NEA's campaign for professional, competitive pay. Here are some logical steps:
1. First and foremost, believe you're worth it.
Remember that front-line educators like you are the number one factor affecting student achievement. Look at the ever-growing demands and responsibilities of your job, and what others in comparable professions — who earn more for similar knowledge and responsibilities — earn per hour or annually.
2. Break down the isolation.
If you're struggling to get by, rushing to second or even third jobs to pay the bills, don't endure this challenge in silence. Break a taboo; ask selected colleagues if they face similar economic struggles, even after many years in the education profession. Then collectively ask yourselves: Why?
3. Check in with your advocates.
See what your NEA state or local affiliates say in written policy about the need to improve educator pay. Inquire if they have salary initiatives planned or underway — be the vehicle collective bargaining, state legislation, or policy votes by school boards or university/college trustees. If so, work with your elected officers and UniServ staff to implement a well-planned campaign. And enlist the support of other reliable advocates: parents whose children you educate and protect every day, and community organizations that know you and the essential services you provide.
4. Do some digging.
Starting with online resources (such as the Economic Policy Institute's Basic Family Budget Calculator), research a "living wage" for different family configurations in your region. And investigate what people in other, comparable professions are earning these days and how their pay has increased in recent years.
5. Gather your best arguments.
Research strong arguments for professional pay based, foremost, on quality services to students. Among other things, examine the difficulty of recruiting/retaining quality career educators, loss of "institutional knowledge" and staff-student relationships through high turnover, out-of-field teaching, and costs linked to the never-ending need to recruit and retrain replacement employees. Then probe the impact of low pay/outside jobs on people who work daily with students — be it reliance on public assistance, fewer precious hours for family life, the loss of time for class preparation or professional development, or the long-term health effects of stress and fatigue.
6. Take your case to the neighbors.
Don't let anyone in the community devalue the work that educators do with young people. Take pride in your profession and let it show in chats with friends, relatives, neighbors, and folks in the community organization or religious denomination to which you belong. Talk about your professional successes, impact (seen or unseen) on students, and the ever-growing responsibilities that you face on the job — due to federal/state mandates, constant education "reform" efforts, and the ever-changing needs of students you serve. And stress how little this work pays.
7. Educate education decision makers.
Don't ever assume that state politicians or school board members fully appreciate the complexity of your job, salary competition from other professions, or how far your pay goes. Invite them to watch you do your job, either live or through a lens, and visit with them while they do their jobs making policy. Through informal conversations over coffee or formal testimony at public meetings, tell decision makers about your success with students, the growing complexity and challenges of your work, and what it takes to survive on an educator's pay.
8. Be media-savvy.
Just as you educate neighbors and decision makers about your work and pay, tell your story to the local media. Start by sending letters to editors and building working relationships with reporters. And send your very best leads, including successes in making large or small salary gains, to print and web communicators at NEA and its state affiliates. It's all about creating a "buzz" around the drive for professional pay.
9. Think about the larger picture.
When you're telling your story, emphasize education's huge impact on local economies through its spending — for salaries, supplies, and services — and its formation of a skilled workforce. Point out that the nation's 3 million teachers (equaling the number of retail trade employees) literally form every other profession. "In these schools, teachers touch the American future every day," notes the College Board's Center for Innovative Thought in a 2006 report. "They do so by turning out the entrepreneurs, public officials, public safety officers, teachers, university professors, business managers, members of the armed forces, and elected officials who lead America forward in the best of times, and protect it in the worst of times."
10. Think about larger Association membership.
When speaking about salary issues to decision makers, the community, or the media, educators are even more likely to be heard when they speak collectively through a strong, large organization — just like physicians through the American Medical Association. If you're not a member of your state's NEA affiliate, become one. If you are a member, become active in your NEA local affiliate and urge colleagues to become members as well. It's just one more way to break down the isolation of second- and third- income earners.


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Bistronomic is Chef Martial Noguier's foray into bistronomy. The One Sixtyblue and Pump Room alum whips up flavorful fare at reasonable rates in a stylish setting.
French food is notoriously vegetarian unfriendly. Bistronomic's menu does not have a ton of options for vegetarians. However, the kitchen was more than accommodating when given advance notice of dietary restrictions.
The menu is tailor made for turophiles with cheese flights and warm cheese plates. The flights are split into local (less than 300 miles away from Wisconsin and Indiana dairies) and more-than-300-mile selections.
Diners order small, medium and large plates, an experience that is akin to a tapas bistro. Sharing orders allows you to try a variety of different dishes.
Bistronomic features a grilled cheese sandwich du jour. The Bohemian Blue grilled cheese was made with a Roquefort-style sheep milk blue cheese from Wisconsin, a brighly sharp yet refreshingly clean blue cheese with an intensely rich finish that lingered on the palate. It was not a traditional grilled cheese, but it was truly an elevated take on a humble classic.
The kitchen was also able to prepare a vegetarian version of the parmesan tarragon gnocchi. The pillowy pasta picked up the fresh flavor of the green herbs and the delicate umami of the cheese.
The truffle soup was a revelation of nuanced flavor. It builds mushroom aromas from a creamy base. The flavor never stops. This would be delightful in cold weather (hint hint).
Desserts are also fantastic at Bistronomic. The chocolate and hazelnut mousse candy bars were crispy yet melted in your mouth. It is like a Nutella candy bar with a crispy praline layer served in a subtle orange sauce.
The wine list is heavy on selections from the classic French appellations with some cool options by-the-glass. Service is capable and attentive without being intrusive.
Even though the menu is light on vegetarian options, the talent on display at the restaurant is an excellent experience for vegetarian diners. Noguier is a talent producing great food at a fair price, a hallmark of bistronomy that shines through at his aptly named Bistronomic.


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Our Classic Waters are romantically reminiscent of the toiletries of the 1930s: softly fragrant, imparting a dewey finish to the skin...but the most important aspect is the antiseptic nature of the formula, created to clear the skin of germs, bacteria & other unhealthy contaminants. Use Classic Waters in any flavor to purify & hydrate your skin, while restoring a fresh feeling & healthy balance to the complexion.
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Rose will soften & beautify the complexion, imparting a healthy warmth to skin tone...lusciously restorative
Grapefruit will brighten even a dull or weary complexion, and helps to enliven the mind and ease fatigue. Grapefruit is known as a tonifying agent and purifier of congested, oily and/or acne prone skin. Use as a pick me up anytime to freshen the face, set makeup or add a supple dewy finish to the skin.
Applications & Benefits:
Our products are 100% natural, contain certified organic ingredients as indicated, are hypo-allergenic, non-irritating & dermatological tested, with a certified shelf-life of 2 years from the date of opening. No animal testing.


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Saturday, 24 January, 2015
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Sept. 29, 2011 — Twitter may tell us a whole lot more than whether or not actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are really on the rocks or what reality TV star Kim Kardashian had over for lunch.
All of this tweeting may actually give researchers a glimpse into moods and mood patterns across the globe. The Twitterverse served as a virtual laboratory for graduate student Scott A. Golder and Michael Macy, PhD, professor of sociology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
The duo analyzed 509 million tweets by 2.4 million people from 84 countries during a two-year period.
Some clear mood patterns and trends emerged. For starters, tweets tend to be more positive on the weekends than during the weekday. And whether you wake in the U.S, the United Arab Emirates, or anywhere else, moods tend to be better early in the morning, as evidenced by their optimistic tweets.
But our moods tend to grow more negative as the day goes on. Another good mood peak occurs around midnight. Taken together, this suggests that work-related stress may be putting a damper on our moods and attitudes.
The new findings appear in Science. Our early morning good mood surges occur two hours later on weekends or non-work days than during the work week because these are the days that people tend to sleep in.
How Tweet It Is
The researchers analyzed positive and negative words used in tweets via a standard language analysis program. They grouped the results by person and time of day. Positive words in tweets that indicate good times included "awesome," "definitely," "paradise," and "fantastic," says Golder.
On the flip side, negative words included "afraid," "fear," "rage," "abandonment," "panic," "remorse," and "vulnerable."
Many people use hashtags or emoticons to emphasize key words or hidden meanings in their tweets.
"We didn't look at hashtags because they are made up of words squashed together and it is hard to study that in a consistent way," Golder tells WebMD. They did look at emoticons, but even the uber-popular smiley and frowning face emoticons had no effect on the patterns.


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Mardouchee (from Haiti): Age 14 - Testimony and Deliverance from Spirit Wife and Satanism
May 1st, 2017 by exorcist
Are you a born-again Believer in Christ Jesus and NEVER been delivered from demons living in your mind, will, emotions and body? For information on the next weekend 1-on-1 public deliverance sessions, visit EvangelistKing.me and click on the Talkshoe logo. ALL CALLS ARE PUBLIC, RECORDED AND SHARED ON ALL OUR PROGRAMS. Shalom †


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Executive order directs agencies to ramp up mental health care services for vets and families.
President Obama on Friday issued an executive order directing federal agencies to expand suicide prevention programs and mental health care for service members, veterans and their families.
The order calls on the Veterans Affairs Department to hire 800 support counselors, who are also vets, to help their peers receive mental health care, and directs the department to use its pay-setting authorities, loan repayment and other incentives to recruit and hire 1,600 mental health care providers by June 2013. VA has brought on more than 3,500 mental health professionals since 2009.
The president also directed Veterans Affairs and the Health and Human Services Department to establish 15 pilot sites in areas where VA has had trouble hiring mental health care providers and vets experience long wait times to access care. "In pilot sites, VA will contract with community health centers, community mental health clinics, community substance abuse treatment facilities and other HHS grantees and community resources to help reduce VA mental health waiting lists," stated a fact sheet from the White House on the executive order. VA and HHS also will work together to improve access to mental health providers in rural and underserved areas.
"The need for mental health services will only increase in the coming years as the nation deals with the effects of more than a decade of conflict," the order stated. The number of service members and vets suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury has swelled during the past 10 years, and both problems have received more attention from health care providers, officials and the public. The president directed VA, and the Defense, Education and Health and Human Services departments to improve early diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and TBI.
According to the executive order, VA also will be responsible for increasing the number of mental health professionals available to care for vets "beyond traditional business hours," as well as ensure any vet in crisis is connected with a mental health provider within 24 hours. In addition, VA and HHS by the end of this year are tasked with expanding by 50 percent the capacity of the veterans' crisis line to improve access to mental health care for vets by telephone, text and online chat. The president directed VA and Defense to develop a yearlong national suicide prevention campaign focused on connecting vets and service members to mental health services. The Army has confirmed that 66 soldiers committed suicide so far this year; 50 cases remain under investigation. In 2011, there were 165 confirmed suicides in the Army.
"I think the executive order is a step in the right direction, particularly incentivizing DoD and VA to collaborate with HHS, Education and other federal agencies," said Kristina Kaufmann, executive director of the non-profit Code of Support Foundation and an advocate of better suicide prevention programs and mental health services for military members and their families. "But changing a culture is not for the faint of heart, and without oversight from senior leadership, our efforts suicide prevention efforts will continue to fall short."
The executive order comes as Obama ramps up his reelection campaign heading into the fall. The president has made job training, employment, and mental health care for veterans and service members a focal point of his administration in the past two years, and it is likely Democrats will highlight the issue at their convention in Charlotte, N.C., next week. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 2 million service members have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The executive order also creates a governmentwide task force to study and recommend ways to improve mental health and substance abuse treatment programs for service members, vets and their families.